Nature and scope of the project: The COVID-19 immunization has been approved for use in the United States since December 11, 2020, yet millions of eligible Americans are still not fully vaccinated. As of July 31, 2022, only 67.2% of Americans were fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Michigan's COVID-19 vaccination rates are below the national average at 57.7%, with the lowest rates in rural counties. Those in rural areas are more susceptible to poor health outcomes, including hospitalization, intubation, and death, if contracting COVID-19. This project aims to increase COVID-19 vaccine awareness and acceptance in rural Michigan communities. Synthesis and analysis of supporting literature: According to the literature, six themes were proven to increase intent to vaccinate. These themes include education, reminders and recall, recommendations from a healthcare provider, social influence and norms, increasing vaccine access, and multimedia and social campaigns. These strategies can be used independently or in conjunction to increase vaccine acceptance in the community. Project implementation: Roger's Innovation Diffusion Theory was used to guide this project. A digital media campaign was created and targeted to rural areas in Michigan. Healthcare providers from different rural communities were interviewed and recorded discussing their personal COVID-19 stories as frontline healthcare providers during the pandemic. The interview questions were developed using the Health Belief Model. The content was targeted to rural counties using geofencing and paid sponsorships on various social media platforms. Outcomes: Content impressions, reach, and engagement were analyzed to determine the scope of reach of the media campaign. A survey measured the influence of the videos on individuals' perceptions of vaccination. The campaign reached 602,980 people during a 3-month period, and 239 survey responses were obtained. 87% of unvaccinated respondents demonstrated an increased intent to vaccinate against COVID-19. Implications: Clinical Nurse Specialists can play a role in community health by identifying at-risk populations, implementing evidence-based interventions, and widely disseminating healthcare information.
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